Key Takeaway
- Having unhealthy oral habits can significantly cause mental health issues and vice versa.
- Anxiety and depression can make individuals more sensitive to pain, which can make them more anxious or fearful about going to the dentist and they ignore signals that they require dental attention.
- Individuals should be visiting the dentist at least twice a year, and this is so long as they’re not experiencing problems.
- Not only can depression and anxiety make people feel like they don’t want to eat, but they can also influence individuals to consume sugary treats and beverages for a quick sugar rush.
While you may not make an immediate connection between the two, oral and mental health are intrinsically linked. As a result, some people turn to dental implants (Birmingham) to perfect their smile and boost their self-esteem.
Without this self-esteem boost, individuals can turn to unhealthy coping mechanisms, including smoking, which can exacerbate poor oral health. Similarly, people who are struggling with their mental health might avoid doing things to look after themselves, such as going to the dentist, this can be vividly seen in the graph below.
People who suffer from depression and anxiety might also engage in behaviors that can damage oral stability, including the following:
- Dry mouth
- Smoking
- Alcohol or drug use
- Pain
- Difficulty performing daily tasks like brushing their teeth
- Low energy
- Dental Anxiety
- Eating or drinking too many sugary foods or beverages
- Loss of appetite, which can lead to poor nutrition
Pain
Anxiety and depression can make individuals more sensitive to pain, which can make them more anxious or fearful about going to the dentist. As a result, they choose to ignore signals that they require dental attention.
Dental problems are renowned for worsening the more we ignore them, and they’re also known for being among the most painful of pains. Consequently, a problematic mental state can lead to dental pain that individuals are too anxious to fix.
Interesting Fact: People with mental health problems are three times more likely to lose their teeth as compared to those with good mental health.
Low Energy
Depression and other mental health problems such as these can make people feel unmotivated and tired, which makes performing even the most basic of tasks challenging. Therefore, even brushing teeth or flossing can feel impossible, which will naturally cause a person’s oral hygiene to take a turn for the worse.
Meanwhile, those struggling with their mental health may find it challenging to prepare meals, which can also contribute to poor nutrition.
Anxiety
Dental anxiety is by no means uncommon, and it can be experienced by anyone and everyone. It’s not just reserved for individuals who have existing mental health problems, anyone could avoid going to see a dentist out of fear. Ideally, individuals should be visiting the dentist at least twice a year, and this is so long as they’re not experiencing problems.
Individuals must take the best care of their mental health by ensuring regular yearly or monthly checkups. Avoiding any oral-related symptoms or keeping regular checkups on time is very necessary.
If they are experiencing problems, they should book an appointment with a dentist as soon as possible. Despite this, dental treatment can be painful, which renders so many people fearful of the dentist, meaning that they refuse to go even if they really need to.
Poor Nutrition
Not only can depression and anxiety make people feel like they don’t want to eat, but they can also influence individuals to consume sugary treats and beverages for a quick sugar rush. Despite this, frequent consumption of these goods can lead to cavities and tooth decay. Having the wrong amount of food consumption like sugary stuff can have a significant impact and further seem to create future issues.
People with poor nutrition lack calcium, and this deficiency can lead to the surface enamel on teeth being weakened. Moreover, bulimia and other eating disorders in which the person vomits after eating can damage the mouth, teeth, and throat. This can also lead to the amount of saliva in the mouth being lowered, which can result in several dental complications, including dry mouth.
Another indicator of poor nutrition is burning mouth syndrome, which creates a chronic burning sensation on the inside of the cheeks, the roof of the mouth, and the tongue. This syndrome can also be caused by depression alone, meaning that individuals with depression can have good oral health and still experience this.
Ultimately, there’s no escaping the connection between oral and mental health. Detailed above are just some of the ways they each affect one another. As a result, it’s of the utmost importance to protect every aspect of your well-being.
